Can time ease the pain?
by Neiroel
Summary: After the destruction of the one ring, Elrond and the other lords are journeying to the west. What happens, when a big storm is delaying their arrival in Valinor? Will the occupants of the last ship arrive safely at the shores? Can they survive, if their ship brakes?
1. Chapter 1

Hello again! I corrected the chapter and it should be better to read now.I'm working on an update for Elrond Stardome but I don't know if I can finish it today.

Disclaimer:Nothing belongs to me but to Tolkien!

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„Elrond we will depart now from these shores you have to hurry, my friend", called Glorfindel.

"Wait just a second longer please I want to say my goodbye to these lands."answered Elrond sadly.

Elrond stared again at the sea. After a long second, he took a deep breath and went to the ship. Shortly after that the last ship of the elves departed from middle earth on the journey to Valinor.

Elrond was staring at the water. They had departed from middle earth two days ago. His was feelings were mixed. He was sailing to the west to find finally peace, but for what prize? His daughter was happily married to a king of men. He should be lucky for her. But not only has his daughter remained in middle earth. His sons came to him a day before he departed for the gray havens and announced their choice. Both chose to be mortal. So his children all belonged to the second born now. What should he tell his beloved wife Celebrian? What would she think of him? She left her children under his care and trusted him to take care of them and to protect them. He protected them from nearly everything. But he was not able to save Arwen from falling in love with a human. He had not been able to save his sons from fate. What kind of father was he? Would Celebrian even look at him when he arrived at Valinor? Did she still love him? There were so many questions without an answer.

Galadriel found him like this at dawn. She was concerned about her son in law. Elrond had not eaten since their departure. She could see by the way his shoulders slumped and the lack of emotion in his eyes that he was very tired and not happy with the journey to the west. She knew that he blamed himself for the decision of his children. So she brought him some food and a cup of tea. He ate silently while Galadriel spoke:

"Elrond, why do you blame yourself for the decisions of your children? You couldn't have changed their minds, you made the right decision. If you had tried to stop them, you would have done this more painful. Your daughter his happily married, you know that, and your sons will find love in their lives too. Now that the ring is destroyed, they won't have to suffer anymore. Why are you sad than? What do you fear?"

Elrond thought about that a moment. Galadriel was right, he couldn't change their fate, everything was meant to happen. But couldn't he have done anything to ease the pain? Shouldn't he be at Arwen's side and support her?

Elrond sighed: "It grieves me not to see my children again, you are right. But I fear our arrival in Valinor. What will Celebrian think of me? I broke my promise to protect our children from harm. She will not accept me in her life again. If she is fully healed, she can have a more beautiful, young, full elf, why should she even bother with me and my feelings?"

Galadriel studied him long. He had dark shadows under his eyes and looked exhausted. He definitely needed sleep and she would force him to sleep if it would be necessary. Finally she said:

"We will see what the future will bring, Elrond Earendilion. Now come with me I'll lead you to your cabin, you need to sleep."

Elrond nodded and followed her to his cabin, which he shared with Celeborn. After the half way, Elrond lean more and more on Galadriel. As they reached the cabin, Galadriel laid him on his bed. Only a few seconds later, he was fast asleep.

At nightfall everyone was sleeping, except Gandalf and Cirdan. They were standing at the sailing and were watching the waves.

"I think a storm is coming Gandalf, we should go inside or we will get wet, mellon-nin."

Said Cirdan. Gandalf agreed and they too, were soon lost in reverie.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hi! Thanks Morwen 80 for the beta version. Enjoy the chapter and please review!

Cirdan woke suddenly as the whole ship swayed. He ran to the deck to see that the waves were so high; they were crushing onto the wooden deck of the ship. The rain lashed over the sea and in Cirdan's face. He stumbled to the cabins, where the other occupants of the ship slept, to warn them of the storm. Galadriel, the Hobbits, Glorfindel and Erestor rushed on the deck, Gandalf came only a little later. Everyone but Elrond and Frodo were on the deck now. Galadriel shouted:  
"Elrond, please come out and bring Frodo with you!"  
In that moment, the mast began to shake and to creak. Cirdan looked up to the sail:  
"We have to take the sail down otherwise the mast will break! And where is Elrond? It's dangerous to stay inside!"  
Suddenly a great crack could be heard and the mast swayed and fell on the cabin, in which Elrond and Frodo were. They heard a chocked cry and the terrible crumpling, snapping sound of breaking bones.  
They looked horrified at each other. Were they dead or were there still alive, trying to survive and struggling to get out?  
Then a few planks shifted and the heard a cough and a groan. Then they saw Frodo slowly crawling out of the heap of rubble. After a long fit of coughing, he whispered with a hoarse voice:  
"Lord Elrond is still in there. He helped me to get out but I fear he is trapped beneath a heavy plank. Also he is in very bad shape. I tried to free him and to get him out too, but he is stuck. I think he lost consciousness, anyway his body is smashed."  
The elves were terrified by this, how could they get Elrond out of the heap of rubble, without causing further damage? Was it even possible and most important, was Elrond still alive?  
Celeborn slowly approached the mess of broken planks and shattered wood. Uncertainly, as if he didn't know if he wanted to hear the answer to his question, he whispered:  
"Elrond, mellon-nin, can you hear me?"  
Celeborn swayed, a big wave crushed over him and he was fully soaked by water, but no one laughed, despite the funny situation. Everyone listened for an answer and after a time, which seemed like ages to the, they heard the weak reply:  
"Go, flee while you still can! There is a hole in here, the ship will sink!"  
Celeborn was horrified; he would never let his friend and son in law perish alone on this ship:  
"No, we will not go without you!"  
Elrond sighed. This was going to be difficult, Celeborn could be very stubborn and he didn't have the strength to discuss much about his own fate:  
"You have to! I will die anyway! You can't save me, I'm stuck, and my body is shattered. Even if you could get me out, I would just be a burden. Please go and save yourselves! Otherwise we all will die! We have three rowing boats, take them and leave me here. It's not far to Valinor, you can do it, and you can reach it without me. I don't want to be responsible for your deaths!"  
The normally calm Celeborn despaired and began to sweep the planks away, until they were able to see a bloody arm. It hung in an odd ankle from the rest of the body and a long gash was on the upper arm. The others were encouraged by the slight hope to get Elrond safe to Valinor and they too began to carry broken and splintered planks away from the motionless body on the ground. After enough wood was taken away, they pulled him out and saw that he lost his consciousness during the process of carrying wood away. They mustered the unconscious Half-elf. He had been right, his whole body was broken: leg was badly broken, even the bone could be seen and his hip too, seemed to be broken although not as bad as his leg. His ribcage was crushed. But the lung didn't seem to be punctured.  
Cirdan, who had prepared the boats, called:  
"Bring Elrond over here; we don't have healing supplies so we can't care for him, without causing further damage. The boats are ready so we can depart now."  
Glorfindel and Erestor carried Elrond to the boat and laid him into it. After that they sat down carefully in the boat while Gandalf, Bilbo and Galadriel sat in the other boat and Celeborn, Cirdan and Frodo in the last one. They rowed towards Valinor as a giant wave crashed over the boat of Erestor and Glorfindel and flipped it over so that the three Elves fell into the water.  
Glorfindel and Erestor could barely keep their heads over the water but Elrond, being unconscious, sank quickly towards the ground.


End file.
